One Step Closer to a New Beginning
by BlueBird722
Summary: It has been over a year since Wally's death, and Artemis knows he would want her to move on with her life...what she doesn't know is that her actions will directly impact three people. SeaArrow centric, formerly Spitfire.
1. Chapter 1

Hi! Not going to explain much here, but I decided to take a break from SeaArrow smut (don't worry, I have more ideas up my sleeve) and decided to do a series of chapters based on an unofficial trilogy I found on tumblr. To be honest, I believe the theory that the speed force did not exist in the YJ universe (hey, it's Grandon's show, they have the right to do what they want), but here I'm playing with the idea that maybe there is no speed force...but Wally comes back regardless?

First two parts are SeaArrow centric, with some mentions of old Spitfire, but there will be Wally to come later on.

And I give inspiration credit to ChaosGirl607 for the inspiration to name this story after the 13th chapter of her 'Buried Secrets.'

* * *

**1. Primero**

When Kaldur received the letter, he did not know that it meant the beginning of a new life for him.

It came in the mail, and he carried the single white envelope between his thumb and index finger. He decided not to read it at the remains of the Cave-he preferred the airy atmosphere of the Watchtower cafeteria, the one that the Flash family always robbed empty of nourishment.

Using a white plastic knife, Kaldur opened the seal of the envelope and pulled out the thrice folded sheet of paper, handwritten in blue ink. Kaldur smoothed out the sheet and began reading.

_Kaldur'ahm:_

_My son, it is a pleasant surprise to see you alive and well while I myself rot in Belle Reve. Not only do these inhibitor collars make me itch and sweat in my neck, but they are extremely difficult to sleep with, not to mention dreadful that at any minute you could feel a powerful electric shock shoot down your body. Anyways, forget about me and now onto you. I am delighted that you have survived the Reach's last attempt to explode the Earth, but I remain with disappointment that you did not remain devoted to my behalf and remained with your little friends._

_Aside from that, I was also less than pleased when I realized that you were never in a relationship with Tigress, and that she was not Tigress but rather my former ally Sportsmaster's daughter. While she and I have never truly worked together, give her my best, and while we are on the subject, as much as I was excited about you 'killing her,' I always felt that the way you two communicated with each other and worked together had or would spark romance between you two. Are you two forming a relationship? If so, I give you my blessing and when the time comes, when can I expect grandchildren? Not that I would prefer to raise them on my own or create a new tie between old Lawrence and me, but everyone whom I have spoken to says that regardless of your loyalties and sides, grandparenthood is just as magical, but less stressful, than real parenthood._

_Write to you later, my son._

_David._

_P.S. I like the names 'Khary' and 'Stephanie.'_

Kaldur read the letter twice but still could not convince himself that his own father wanted to be a grandfather and was hoping to pick grandbaby names...or that he thought parenthood was magical. How would he know what parenthood was like? It took Kaldur years to learn that Calvin was just a father-figure. How would Manta know the joy and ordeal or child rearing?

And Artemis...the poor girl had just lost Wally to the Reach. Would she ever want to go out with the Team leader? After all, he never had a date with Tula, whom he still mourned at times, although he still remained friends with Garth. Artemis, on the other hand, was with Wally longer than Kaldur himself had ever loved Tula...This was such a personal loss for her.

Sure, they did fight and take short breaks from each other, focusing on other interests (Kaldur had to watch from Bumblebee and Guardian to understand what that meant), but regardless of the spat it seemed like they were magnets. Kaldur slowly concluded that Artemis was not ready to move on, and certainly not with him, the boy she considered the team big brother.

"Oh my God, I cannot believe he wrote that..."

Kaldur accidentally jumped and spun around in his seat...to said blond behind him, ready to drop the bottle of water in her hand, with her pupils starting to shrink. He cleared his throat, preparing for the rejection shooting like an arrow into his heart, and sighed. "Hello, Artemis..."

Her parched lips etched into a smile. "Sorry to scare you like that...I was grabbing water before I hit the treadmill." She sat down beside him, her eyes focused on the letter. "So he really asked that...if you and I were in a relationship and planning to have babies?"

"I know," he said. "He kind of...found our undercover relationship as romantic...To be fair, I'm the conception of a brief affair, but he did love my mother."

Artemis chuckled and shook her head. "He sure was proud of you for 'killing' me."

"I agree," Kaldur admitted, looking back at the letter. "I still find it awkward that he wanted me to be a couple with you. He thinks we were the best, and he wants us to give him grandchildren."

Artemis laughed. "He'll need to explain this to my mom over a long cup of coffee," the archeress said. "So...speaking of his...failed assumption that we were romantically involved...would you, um, want to?"

Kaldur looked over at her. "Want to what?"

Artemis felt sick-she still missed Wally so fiercely, but at times she felt that pushing his clothes into her face, clutching his pillow like it was his waist, and occasionally cooking for two was holding her back. He would always remain a part of her, but even her family would say that her behavior was unhealthy. She needed to move on, make herself happy, fulfill some of the life goals she set for herself at her youth...Artemis pushed back her hair and took a deep breath. "Kaldur...would, you know, you want to...go out at some time?"

Kaldur stared at her with wide eyes. "Really?" he asked. "I mean, Wally"-

"It's been over a year, Kal," she said. "And I will always mourn him, but he was always occupied with keeping me happy. And I know that he would want me to be happy even when he's not with me." She kept her lips in a steady line and her eyes straight. "And the only other boy who would care for my happiness has always been you." To drop a careful hint, she gracefully laid a steady hand over his own webbed fingers.

Kaldur stared at her hand before looking back up, an idea forming in his head. "Is Star City only a short distance from the ocean?" he asked.

"Yes, why?" she answered slowly.

Kaldur put on a careful grin and stood up. "Meet me at the Star City old phone booth at nine o'clock then tonight, and"-

"Wait, what?" she asked.

"Tonight at nine," he said. "When it is nine in Star City, by the old phone booth."

Artemis stood up, picked up the bottle, and nodded. "Tonight then. Can't wait."

Artemis could only walk at the gym then, and Kaldur felt like he was floating on the surface.


	2. Chapter 2

**2. Siguiente**

The light faded from the phone box, and he watched her slender arm push open the door. When she stepped out, he gasped at her outfit-it was pale green, with butterfly sleeves, a round neckline, was knee-length, and sheer. She held a brown sweater with one arm and stepped out in brown sandals. Her hair flew around her upper back.

Kaldur could barely speak-when he saw her in casual wear, she wore jeans with a shirt, jacket, and boots, but rarely in a dress. When they did go undercover for their investigation about Captain Adam's trail, she was gorgeous in her dress, but this one was more attractive. She wore little makeup, but he could see her lips glittering in carefully applied lip gloss.

His speechless expression made her giggle. It was like a gentle stream of water in the forest. "Wow, never made most guys speechless," she smiled. Kaldur swallowed and let her take his arm, so he guided her to his rented car. The restaurant that the Team had helped him make reservations for was only two miles away, and he thought it was more romantic to drive.

"Have you been to the eatery before?" Artemis asked as he drove her down a street.

"Twice-the first time, my mentor and my queen treated my friends Garth, Tula, and me as well as all the students in their education program-just so you know, there were about six different students, including Lagoon Boy-to dinner there in order to experience land cuisine and human culinary aspects of seafood. That was about...ten days before the other boys and I investigated in Cadmus."

"Wow," Artemis said. "You must have liked it."

Kaldur briefly slowed down and stopped at the octangular sign before resuming his speed. "The second time...I took Garth and Tula there to celebrate their membership into the Team, and you'll never guess what happened."

"Tell me," his date said eagerly.

The car turned left, and he could dimly see the restaurant lights. "Zatanna found out we were eating there, and that was the first time she held a public magic show. She made rabbits jump out of hats, refilled beverage glasses, and had transparent waiters dance around carrying bread and desserts as well as a big cloud of gold glitter dust dance around us and then it fell over every occupant."

"Cool..." Artemis leaned forward to see the lights dimly lighting the dark sky. "I'll have to ask her if she could do that for my niece's next birthday party. She has always loved that little girl."

"Speaking of little Lian," Kaldur said as he found the parking spot and proceeded to driving around in search of a parking spot, "when we get inside, help me catch up on her. I have only seen photographs of her, but never physically."

He parked beside the smoking tower, where he could see three different silhouettes and cigarette glows, and turned off the engine, slid the keys into his pocket, unbuckled his seatbelt, and slid out of his car. He closed the door, walked around the car, opened Artemis' door, and helped her out of the car. He pushed the lock button and escorted her up the wooden steps. It was then that Artemis could hear the soft sounds of the ocean and catch a whiff of the salty air and water.

"We have a reservation," Kaldur told the hostess. "It's 'Curry.'"

Gail, a brunette with crown twists, smiled, picked up two menus, and walked them through the building, wonderfully painted blue to match the sea in afternoon light, paintings of seaweed, seashells, and sea creatures, until she led them through opened doors and into the outdoors. "Balcony, for Curry," she said setting down their menus and waiting until Kaldur had pulled out a chair for his date before settling into his. "Your waiter will be with you shortly."

After she left, Artemis slid on her sweater and looked around. "Wow...I have to say, your king"-

"Let's call him Arthur, since they don't really understand underwater royalty," Kaldur whispered leaning forward. "If most humans found out, they would likely send divers to invade our territory."

"Arthur?" repeated Artemis.

"My king's birth name," he gently explained.

Artemis briefly glanced over her shoulder at a fish tank and turned back to her date. "So how did Arthur and his wife find this place? It's so beautiful."

"Wait until you see the toilets," Kaldur grinned. "When Tula came back, she described every detail of the sink, tiles, and then I went into the men's room and saw that it was just like her description!"

A thin teenage boy with short brown hair walked forward and laid down napkins wrapped around silverware and two straws. "Good evening, my name is Alan, and I will be your server tonight. Can I get you two something to drink?"

"I will have the Sierra Fruit, please," Kaldur said without even looking at the menu.

"What's that?" Artemis looked for the beverage section in her menu.

"That's Sierra Mist with all kinds of fruit in it-pineapple, strawberries, grapes, a little orange juice, it's good," explained Alan.

"May I have that as well as water?"

Alan scribbled down her order and left. Kaldur pushed a napkin towards Artemis and rubbed his hands together. When Alan came back with the beverages, Kaldur ordered salmon with crab sauce, vegetables, and a cup of turtle soup. Artemis asked for tilapia with dill sauce, lobster meat, and half a serving of shrimp. When their waiter disappeared, Artemis folded her napkin over her lap and smiled. "So, Kal...want to begin?"

Kaldur chuckled and told her about some of his recent daydreams, such as learning to surf, showing the little prince, Arthur Jr., more of the surface world, and having a giant beach day for every single member of the Team and League, including grumpy old Bats.

Their meal came when he began talking about his hobbies-collecting 'souvenir' from old shipwrecks, communicating and riding with sea animals, and cooking meals from his kingdom-and he changed to a possible job he wanted at home, which was mentoring young fish and children in sorcery or even writing a memoir about his life, experiences on board the Manta ship, and serving as a protege to the king as well as a leader to a team ready for recognition.

Kaldur let Artemis try a bite of salmon and crab sauce and asked her about herself. "Tell me about little Lian, all I know is that she takes after both her parents," he explained.

Artemis' face brightened at the thought of the redhead baby who slept constantly, watched TV fights, thought vegetables were the best edible things ever, and was always scattering her toys around the apartment. "She's such a sweetheart," admitted the aunt. "She loves it when I swaddle her, blow on her feet and her stomach, and she hates having her hair messed with. Even her own parents can't bathe her without a massive tantrum. All she'll ever watch is the 1938 _Robin Hood, The Little Mermaid_, and basically any other movies with at least one violent scene, regardless of the rating. I saw her trying to watch _Scarface _and all the _Rocky _movies."

Kaldur laughed and ate from the soup while she snapped her fingers. "Also, I forgot to mention-she's going to be baptized soon, and her parents want you to be godfather."

"Godfather?" Kaldur repeated. His king never told him about that title. What did that even mean? A father who was like a god...like how 'cupcake' meant a cake that was small like a cup?

Artemis smiled. "It's when they trust you to stand and take her in to raise as your own in case something happens to her mom and dad. They trust you enough-my sister no longer has a vendetta against you-to care for Lian if something happens and they die."

"Such an honor," Kaldur whispered. "Wow...who is going to be godmother, if there is one?"

"They're looking into Queen Bee, Poison Ivy, or Killer Frost."

Kaldur nearly choked on his Sierra Fruit, but his date simply laughed. "Just kidding, they're thinking about me, and I would love to."

"Do not repeat that to anybody else, because then Lian will never know who her real parents are," Kaldur warned in an amusing tone.

Artemis later warmed to hobbies outside of archery-making arrows, training, spending time with the girls, and Vietnamese cooking, most of which were edible. "Did you study culinary arts in school?"

"No," she responded. "I'm double majoring in human biology and comparative literature. When I earn my degree, I plan on flying to Vietnam-my mom was born there before the Vietnam War-and getting more in-depth with their folklore and storytelling, as well as sharing American literature and writing with them."

"Interesting," Kaldur nodded. "Sounds like fun."

When Alan arrived to clear the plates and offer dessert, the two decided to split turtle pie and pay early. By the time they were finished, Artemis had removed her shoes so she and Kaldur could walk along the shore, holding hands, letting the waves calmly sweep over them, Artemis thinking about one day visiting Atlantis and Kaldur hoping to try Vietnamese food.

Not once did an image of red hair flicker in their minds.

Sadly, by midnight, Artemis' mother had texted her, asking her daughter to return home immediately. Kaldur mentally groaned but otherwise drove her back to the booth, where they talked non-stop until he parked and walked her to the blue rectangle.

"I had a really great time," Artemis admitted.

"So did I," Kaldur said. "Would you, um, mind..."

"Doing it again?" she finished with a broad smile. "I would love to, you've made me had a wonderful evening. Tell you what-I have to watch over my niece tomorrow, but meet me at the Watchtower at nine in the morning, we can arrange our next date."

"Sounds nice," Kaldur admitted. Before she turned to leave, she hastily kissed his cheek and walked into the booth.

By the time he recovered from his haze, she was already gone.

By the next date-a walk in the park, then a stage production of _Beauty and the Beast_-they had their first kiss together, her first one since Wally, and his very first lip contact.

Not once did an image of red hair flicker in their minds.


	3. Chapter 3

**3. El último**

_"Just tell them, okay?" was all he could manage before he prepared for it-the truth of never seeing his parents again, his friends, his family, his teammates...For some reason, in the space of a millisecond, he thought of Kaldur._

_Kaldur, who had never gone out with Tula but loved her so fiercely and was devastated after her demise...He was broken enough to forge a change in his loyalties and stand by his father in the 'shades of black and white.'_

_While Wally had once doubted Kaldur's loyalty and confidence in Dick, he instantly regretted his scruple that Kaldur, who commanded his team with a dedicated and steady hand, would ever endanger those he viewed as siblings and those he knew would make a major difference in the world for the future._

_Then there was Artemis...not a moment went by, even in pain or examinations, did he ever forget the first time her lips had touched his. Every New Year's they met outside and reenacted every moment of their first kiss, and while they were never as magical as the first, each oral contact would always spark him with eagerness for the newborn year._

_As it finally struck Wally that this past January would be the last New Year's they've ever spent together, Wally severely hoped that Artemis would be able to move on, briefly mourn the loss of her loved one, and find someone who cared about her just as much as he had, one who comforted her nights of the lonely childhood and broken family she suffered through, showed her the world and reminded her that the past was past and that life held more promises...I love you, Artemis, Mom, Dad, he thought as he felt the bolt prepare to strike him._

_"KID!" Barry's voice yelled out before Wally felt himself fade to dust..._

"Oof!" Something hard had struck his face. He squinted and realized that he had landed face-down in snow. Snow? What snow? Wasn't he dead after helping Barry and Bart in the Artic? Was this the afterlife? Heaven? What other religions believed in after death?

Slowly, Wally lifted his head...

And saw that he was in the very same place that he had lost his life in.

_What happened?_ he asked himself.

He shakily got to his feet and blinked. So the Reach did not pulverize the Earth, it seemed...they succeeded! Taking a deep breath, Wally prepared to run when he realized that he was naked. Apparently the deflected energy had also robbed him of his costume.

Wally recalled how to reach his house from the Artic and zoomed.

Fast.

The Artic and other continents and cities and peoples flew past him as he made his way to the house in mid-US, ready to show Bart and Barry and Jay and Dick and Artemis and M'gann and Superboy and Kaldur that he was still alive and running and ready to eat and fight crime and finish college and earn a place in heroic records and normal life...

At last, he came to his house.

He hid behind the back, shielding himself, and peeked around, stopping only when his eyes hit the FOR SALE sign beside the mailbox.

It was like he swallowed a lemon.

His parents were trying to escape their grief by removing themselves from the very place they had raised him.

_Got to convince Mom and Dad that I'm alive,_ Wally determined as he hastily climbed up a tree to his bedroom window. Peeking through the glass, he saw his mother on the bed, her face buried in some of his baby clothes-blue, yellow, and green. Her back moving up and down, her audible sobs...Wally had never seen his mother cry. Only when watching sad movies would she shed tears.

There was no way that he was going to burst in and scream that he was alive.

Wally closed his eyes and quickly thought of a plan. Anything to prove that the first Kid Flash was alive.

He climbed down the tree, searched for a small rock, and found one beside Mary's dying daisies. He hid behind the tree and threw the rock at the glass window from below.

_Crash!_

He climbed up the tree again, heard his parents' worried voices, slid open the window, grabbed a T-shirt and jacket, jeans, boxers, shoes, and socks, and ran back out.

Wally hastily changed and ran to the nearest hospital, faking a possible concussion and dizziness, collapsing in the arms of a cute nurse.

* * *

Two hours later, he opened his eyes and looked at the faces of his horrified, shocked, tear-faced parents. "Wally?" whispered Rudy.

"D-dad," his son moaned.

Mary covered her mouth and sobbed. "I...my...w-what's your-your m-middle name?"

"Rudolph," whispered Wally. He never liked his father's name-classmates in elementary school would always make comments about 'Wally the Redhead Reindeer' even in the spring and fall-but now he did not think bitterly of his middle name.

Mary sniffed and gently wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Oh, my beautiful boy!"

Ignoring the IV in his arm, he lifted his upper limbs and embraced his sobbing yet elated parents. Rudy pulled back twelve minutes later and called someone on his cell. Wally did not know who until the door opened and Barry and Iris, each embracing a small bundle of blankets, Jay, Bart, Dick, and Bruce walked in.

"Wally!" yelled Dick, with tears in his eyes since Jason's passing, and he ran forward and nearly suffocated his friend. Wally shed his own tears and gripped the back material of Dick's jacket. His best friend, his buddy...the one person who trusted him with his secret identity and back story, the one who swore to never become his mentor, the one who wanted to publish his own 'Dick-tionary...'

Mary and Rudy took a baby each from Rudy's sister and brother-in-law as Iris leaned forward and kissed Wally's head, Bart squeezing Wally's hand hard enough to crush his bones.

Bruce took a small blood sample and confirmed him to be the Wallace Rudolph West they knew.

While Iris introduced Wally to her twin newborns-Wally felt truly honored when he learned the boy was named 'Donald Wallace' in his honor and commented how gorgeous baby Dawn was-Barry rushed to the Watchtower and confirmed to every hero that Wally was alive...until he tried to reach Kaldur and Artemis, whose cell phones had been turned off, as they were on a fifteenth date.

When Dick realized that his leader and friend were unreachable, he wondered how this was going to destroy Wally.

* * *

There was to be a 'welcome home' party at the Watchtower the next day, but the split second that the Team, freshmen and senior, ran in he felt like this was a party already...until he realized that neither Kaldur nor Artemis were in attendance.

He tried to ask Dick what happened to them, but his best friend did reassure him that both were alive and well.

Even Sphere and Wolf attended, were elated, and partied, with all of Wally's favorite songs playing, his favorite food (everything) served, and all the heroes, even grumpy old Bats, in attendance. Wally caught up with the seniors and freshmen, listened to Bart's adventures on his role as KF (the word 'crash' was already old to Wally in fifteen minutes), and participated in an eating contest with both Allen speedsters, which Barry won.

Wally washed down his meal with chicken and cake, feeling that he would never die again.

_"Recognized, Aqualad: B02. Recognized, Artemis: B07."_

Wally did not notice it when he heard the two names that he last thought of, but behind him the party froze.

There she was...the face he was most eager to see. She entered with Kaldur, her in a red and pink short dress and gold flats, him in casual wear and a jacket. His hair had grown back to the pre-buzz cut look, her hair windswept with a small strand of seaweed tied into her hair.

Wally was so excited to see her that he did not notice she was holding Kaldur's hand.

The music and laughter and talking died down when the light died behind the new guests, Barry almost vibrating through the floor and Bart frozen like ice.

When her gray eyes hit him-it was in a split second-her mouth opened, her eyelids pulled back, and subconsciously lifted a hand to her parted mouth.

"Wally..."

"I'm here, Artemis," he said softly. Artemis slowly took two steps toward him before bursting into a sprint.

Her arms were around his neck and his arms embraced her waist tightly, his feet swinging her around gently, her hands and upper limbs tightening around his shoulders. She did not sob or cry, but he could feel her emotions physically slam against him. Behind him, some of the other heroes were clapping, but others remained silent and stared at Kaldur, who was staring at his long lost friend and wondering how he came back.

After a minute, hour, day, week, or longer, it seemed to him, he set her down, her eyes watering but not yet spilling tears. "I've missed you with all my heart," she whispered. "I mourned you every day."

Wally, suddenly not feeling strong enough to kiss her in front of everyone, kissed her cheek and looked over her head at Kaldur. "Wally, how did you..."

"I don't know," the speedster said honestly. "I just did."

Kaldur's face smiled and he hastily walked forward and immediately ran. They grasped hands and pulled the other into a one-armed hug. "I have missed you, Wally," Kaldur said softly. "I still have difficulty leading the Team like I used to."

Wally chuckled and wrapped his arm around Artemis' waist. "Artemis, there's something I've..."

Automatically Kaldur knew where this was going and felt sick.

"Wally," she said softly, like a breeze, "may we...talk? In private?"

It was like the Watchtower had held its breath-the mentors knew to stay away, but some of the Team, former and new, had crept towards the open entrance where the blonde and speedster had just walked through.

Kaldur's heart was beating so hard that he literally could not hear anything, but he peeked at the two and watched Wally's hand slide from Artemis' waist, his face growing pale, and his eyes falling apart.

Wally turned his head, but Kaldur had already departed-it was one thing to have Wally doubt his loyalties, now it's a complete 180 degree angle from this when he realized that he had lost his girl in his absence.

Kaldur now felt like a creep for reenacting the very same way Tula and Garth had destroyed him.

He could feel his king's whisper of his name vibrate on his skin, but he walked out of the party to visit the holograms of the late heroes-now it was just Tula, Jason, and Ted glowing in the moonlight.

Suddenly he felt a small rush behind him and a hand touch his shoulder.

Kaldur's ears seemed to unclog.

"Take care of her, Kaldur," Wally whispered. "She's a great person, and you are a lucky man, to have her involved in your life like that."

Kaldur turned to Wally's sincere smile and Artemis approaching them.

She and Wally embraced before he departed back to the party, and the current couple sat among the memorial to the deceased in silence.

* * *

_Three months later..._

Three months after learning of Artemis dating Kaldur, Wally was watching TV when his aunt texted him, asking if he would like to join her for lunch. She was bringing her new protege with her but not trying to force anything on him-she was just hoping to get the girl out of her shell more. Iris' previous protege, Tana Moon, had proven so impressive that she took a job as a news reporter in Hawaii. Before she left, she thanked Iris and encouraged her to look for a new protege who could "sweep the world away."

Wally agreed to his aunt's request, changed clothes, and zoomed to the studio. He waited outside for twenty minutes until he heard Aunt Iris call out his name. He hugged her and looked at the girl to Aunt Iris' left. She had black hair, Korean features, and pink lips. Aunt Iris' voice seemed to die.

Little did he know how this would turn out-simple dates, she would get on his nerves sometimes, he would annoy her sometimes, they would move in together, she would accept the ring, they would marry and welcome a set of twins, one a girl who would take on Bart's former identity and the other a boy who accelerated his muscle growth…

Wally smiled and outstretched his hand. "I'm Wally West, Iris' nephew."

The girl smiled and grasped his hand, her fingers cool and comforting.

"Linda. Linda Park."


End file.
